Foggy Faith

EARLY morning fog can be a beautiful sight as it creeps over the mirrored surface of a lake or huddles over a silent meadow. Many a photographer has waited until just the right moment to capture a subject enshrouded in mists before the sunlight burns them away. Yet while fog may be impressive in the natural world, it can be utterly perilous in the spiritual, as Hosea pointed out. He used the image of fog as a metaphor of Israel’s faithlessness (Hosea 6:4). The nation’s commitment to the Lord was as empty and fleeting as a cloud. As soon as the people felt the “heat” of moral and spiritual conflicts, their loyalty to God evaporated.

This same “foggy faith” characterizes many people today. In an emotional moment they may pay impressive lip service to loving and serving God, but as soon as their feelings of devotion fade, their “faith” is effectively vaporized. Clearly, as the Lord evaluates faith, what seems to matter is not whether it is beautiful, but how long it will last.

Courtesy of Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, ESV © 2016 by Crossway Bibles.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.